


Welcome Home

by Kazel_Menra



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Comfort, Pizza makes everything better, panic attacks suck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-17 00:23:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16964274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kazel_Menra/pseuds/Kazel_Menra
Summary: A panic attack brings Adrien and Marinette closer together as they realize that someone is there to support them.





	Welcome Home

Adrien couldn’t breathe. It was terrifying how he could feel his chest moving, his lungs filling and emptying, and yet, somehow, he couldn’t breathe. It was a panic attack, a feeling he knew well and loathed, but one that he couldn’t stop. He had felt it tickling the back of his mind most of the day, slowly burning through the mental shields he surrounded himself with. Thankfully, Nino had something to do that Friday after school and hadn't been able to hang out, otherwise Adrien would have had to ditch him when he felt that first tingle of panic shearing through his nervous system. The worst part was he didn’t even know what preempted this particular attack, so there was no way to talk himself down from it. 

'Breathe, just breathe,' he told himself again and again, but all that came out was a choked sob and a second flare of panic that made him want to scream. He could feel Plagg in his pocket, sending a warm, thrumming, purr through his whole being, since the kwami knew that there was nothing else he could really do. They just had to ride the panic out and when he came out on the other side, take a nap due to exhaustion.

He was sitting practically in a fetal position, head pressed into his knees, arms wrapped firmly around them, as if that alone was what was keeping himself together. Plagg had found the place they were in, seeing as how Adrien hadn't been able to think straight by the time he got there. So now he sat in an out of the way corner in an empty dark classroom. Plagg had chosen it specifically because there was no reason for anyone to come in and yet it was their horrible, bad luck that someone did. Adrien didn’t dare look up to see who had found him like this, it would just make everything feel worse. In fact, he half expected whoever it was to start asking questions or to simply leave, pretending not to see him at all. For several moments there was no sound, and Plagg had to quit purring, though the sudden lack of sensation made Adrien’s breath catch painfully. 

"Oh, Adrien," a soft, feminine voice, one he almost recognized murmured, as a soft thump told him that, whoever it was, they were kneeling close. 

The touch was tentative, one that sent tremors through him and he leaned into it. Taking that lean as acceptance, arms went around him, a warm body pressing tight against him. His breathing was too fast, his heart rate still erratic, and the soft voice spoke again. 

"Breathe with me, Adrien." 

He did, or at least he tried. As the chest pressed against him moved, he forced his lungs to do so as well. After what seemed like forever, his heart finally began to settle and his breathing picked up its natural rhythm once more. He could have cried in relief, but he felt he had already embarrassed himself enough, and so he withheld his tears. Slowly, so they wouldn’t cramp, he started to unclench his hands, his shoulders and back muscles protesting at being moved after staying clenched for so long. As he started to relax, the body surrounding him did so as well, ever so slowly pulling back. Their hands never left his body, however, and Adrien realized that they were not going to leave. Wanting to look, and terrified to do so, he wondered what poor soul had found him, so he lifted his head and stared into bluebell eyes that left him breathless once more. 

"Ladybug?" He asked, making the person flinch back and blink rapidly.

"Uh… well… no… I-I," they replied, those warm soft hands jerking away from him. 

Adrien's brain finally kicked back in and he could have kicked himself as he recognized that stutter. "Marinette." His voice was no more than a whisper and yet, as he spoke, she could hear the agony that he hid so very well.   
The air whooshed out of her lungs as their eyes met again, his normally bright green eyes were dull and filled with heart wrenching emotion. Marinette leaned forward, wrapping her arms around him once more, and she pulled him to her in a gentle embrace that eased the pain-filled knot in his chest. 

"Shhhhh," she soothed, running a hand through his hair as he pressed his face against her, wanting to wrap his arms around her, but unable to reach out enough to do so. 

Unbidden tears slid past his cheeks, against his will at her gentleness, and he sobbed against her, his body slowly relaxing as he pressed himself more firmly against her, embarrassment be damned. Marinette let him cry, only moving once when her phone vibrated in her pocket. The rest of the time she simply held him, passing her hand through his hair and over his back in a gentle caress that in any other case would have caused him to purr. Eventually his tears dried and the exhaustion set in, his eyes slowly closing, as he forgot where he was. The heartbeat beneath his ear reminded him and, before he could pass out in his classmate’s lap, he began to pull away. When Adrien was fully upright once more, he stared up at the ceiling, unable to meet Marinette’s eyes. 

"I-I'm sorry. I'll be ok now," Adrien managed, his voice froggy from emotion. 

Silence pressed against them, almost like a physical thing, and Marinette hoped that the danger of him becoming akumatized had long since passed. Since she couldn’t ask Tiki, Marinette stood, suppressing a groan from sitting on her legs in such an awkward position for such a long time. Adrien wouldn’t meet her eyes and she didn’t have to imagine why. 

He had been muted all day, his eyes filling with a kind of pain that no one else seemed to recognize. Marinette had wanted to talk to him, but there never had been a good time, and as soon as school had let out he had vanished. She had come back to this classroom because she needed her book for the weekend, and she had been shocked to see Adrien in the corner, curled into a ball. Recognizing he was having a panic attack she had approached him carefully, not knowing how he would react to another's presence. Some people couldn’t stand to be around others when in the midst of a panic attack, while many needed another's touch to help anchor them. Although Marinette had no idea what this panic attack stemmed from, she could be there for him as an anchor if he accepted her presence. It also didn’t help that she was terrified he could become akumatized, and she didn’t know if she would be able to fight him if that ever happened. Thankfully, he had accepted her presence and, now that he was calm again, Marinette wondered how to ask what was on her mind. Other than a strictly professional one, she knew he had little to no relationship with his father, and since he was currently out of town on some business, Marinette knew he would probably be returning to an empty house.   
It broke her heart to imagine having to go home to an empty place after such an emotional drain so, forgoing any kind of thought, she simply said, "Come home with me."

Adrien’s head whipped up, surprise crossing his face. "Huh?" was all he was able to manage as she reached down and took his hand, practically pulling him to his feet. 

"I-I'm not leaving you alone, so come h-home with me. My parents already said yes and you can sleep on my chaise or the couch, and I was thinking of ordering pizza anyways, so… so…" Marinette said, her voice stuttering off near the end. 

Adrien didn’t know what to say. He was drained and if he were being honest he didn’t think he would be able to make it home under his own power. No one at home would miss him since there was no one there, but it still surprised him to hear his voice answer, "Ok." 

He didn’t release her hand as they gathered their things, or as they walked through the very silent, empty school. The sun had almost set and he was almost afraid to know just how long he had spent in her arms. Unlocking the door to her house she pulled him in through the dark bakery and up the stairs into the living room. They dropped their things on the floor by the couch and she walked to the phone, still pulling him along as if he were a child's toy. It was then that he realized he was clinging to her hand, like it was a lifeline, and that she probably needed it to order food. Even if she didn’t need it to use the phone, Adrien figured Marinette was probably tired of him clinging to her like a kid does to his favorite blanket. The idea snapped him back into his senses and he dropped her hand, stepping back so they were at a more appropriate distance. 

"Adrien?" her voice was laced with concern, her bluebell eyes piercing through to his heart. 

"I, uh… I'm ok, can I use your bathroom?" he asked and Marinette nodded, pointing at a nearby door. 

"Do you like pepperoni?" she asked his retreating back and he paused at the bathroom door in contemplation.

Normally he wasn’t allowed to eat things like pizza due to his modeling diet but, with the way this evening had gone, Adrien found that he didn’t give a crap. "Can you get extra?" he asked and a smile lit up Marinette face, warming a small part of him back to life. 

"Sure!" She answered, her voice as bright as her smile, while she started jabbing at the numbers on the keypad. 

Slipping into the bathroom Adrien closed the door, flipped on the light, and collapsed onto the toilet seat. Plagg flew from his pocket moments later.

"Kid?" he asked and Adrien looked into the Kwami’s eyes, seeing only worry there.

"I'll be ok," Adrien answered numbly.

"This was a really bad one," Plagg mumbled. flying closer to Adrien’s face. "Don’t try and go home. Marinette will help you, so let her." 

Adrein felt a blush heat up his cheeks. "I've been through these plenty of times. I just need a good nap and everything will be fine. Besides, she probably doesn’t want me around ruining her weekend." 

Plagg’s head cocked to the side and he flew back to Adrien's jacket pocket as a soft knock came from the door. 

"Pizza is o-on its way. I f-found some clothes that will fit you s-so you have something to wear to sleep in," Marinette said, her voice soft.   
Adrien stood and opened the bathroom door, making her jump and blush. She held an oversized t-shirt and some green pants with black cats all over them. Cautiously, Marinette looked up at him, he seemed almost lost as he gazed at the clothes in her arms, and Marinette stepped forward to place the clothes in his hands. 

"If you want to take a shower or anything you can. There are towels in the cabinet," Marinette said, when he still didn’t move. 

Adrien blinked, his eyes a little watery once more. "Yeah, I… uh… thanks."

Marinette stepped back. "Anytime. Tomorrow, if you want, we can make cookies and play some video games. I have a new game that can be a two player and, since I've only messed around with it as a single player, I'm kind of curious to see how two player works." 

Adrien's eyes brightened, his posture relaxing ever so slightly. "That sounds fun," he said, feeling better about invading her home. Marinette wanted him there, he realized, she hadn't brought him home out of pity, and she wasn’t annoyed by his presence. She wanted him there. It meant more to him than she could ever know and he smiled a tiny, frail smile, but it was still a smile. 

"I'll take a shower," he said, feeling how his clothes stuck to his skin due to the dry panic sweat, and stepping back into the bathroom, he was amused as well as slightly embarrassed when she followed. 

"I'll turn the water on. It’s a little tricky sometimes," Marinette said in explanation, as she walked over to the bathtub and reached behind the curtain.   
Adrien placed the clothes down on the counter and watched, bemused as she turned the water on and flipped it to the shower. The shower head didn’t spray and she reached up to twist something when it suddenly came on full force, soaking her. 

"Ghaa!" she cried, stumbling back, and Adrien caught her before she could fall, only to trip as he took her body weight and landed back on his butt with her on top of him in his lap. "I'm so sorry! Are you ok?!" she cried, scrambling off him. 

Adrien blinked, taking in her soaked, messy hair with water running down her face, and started to laugh. It was a deep, belly laugh that broke the remaining coldness in his chest and he reached out, pressing a damp strand of hair back into place behind her ear. "I'm fine, much, much better now." 

Marinette blushed and looking away, jerked a hand behind her. "Told you it was tricky," she said and then the two of them stood. 

Pulling two towels out of the cabinet, Marinette gave Adrien one of them, then she slipped out of the bathroom leaving him to take a shower. By the time he got out the pizza had arrived and Marinette had changed into her own set of pajamas with her hair hanging loose around her face. Plagg was off hiding somewhere, and Adrien had exacted a promise that he wouldn’t eat all the cheese in the house, since he couldn’t just fly home to get some. The TV was on and Marinette sat on the couch, legs curled under her, and several blankets scattered about. 

"Come, sit! I wasn’t sure what you liked to watch, so I just put it on cartoons," she said as he came around the couch and sat down. 

Grabbing two plates, Marinette handed one to him, then flipped open the pizza box with a sigh. "Pepperoni is the best." 

Adrien felt his stomach pinch and growl, demanding food, and he was grateful when she grabbed a large slice and proceeded to scarf it down. He followed suit, although he was a little surprised at himself. Usually panic attacks left him feeling hollow and tired, like he could just sleep for a month. He was tired and that hollow feeling was still there a little, but it was being pushed to the side by warmth and kindness. Soon they were talking about school, joking about the silliness of the cartoons before them, and Adrien felt the final chills from his panic attack melting away. They ate pizza until they were stuffed and, at some point later in the night, he found himself leaning on Marinette’s shoulder, his eyelids heavy as he fought sleep. Tentatively, her hand stroked through his hair and Adrien had to remind himself not to purr as he unconsciously snuggled closer. He knew she had to be tired as well, but she made no move to get up as his eye lids got heavier, his thoughts becoming more scrambled, and at some point he drifted off completely. 

A heavenly aroma roused him and, as his eyes drifted open, he could feel something laying heavily across him. He was wrapped in a warm blanket and his head was nestled in a crook, against another blanket, that was soft enough to make him want to purr. Confused, he started to move when he felt the heavy thing shift and sigh, one hand falling across his chest. Adrien froze, his body going completely stiff, as he took in his surroundings. He was in Marinette’s house and the last thing he remembered was falling asleep on her shoulder. His head was no longer on her shoulder, but in her lap, and her whole body was draped across his back, her head resting in the space just before his hip. Movement caught his gaze as Marinette’s mother came out of the kitchen, pausing as she saw his wide, horrified eyes. A hand lifted to her lips, as her eyes crinkled in mirth, and she put her coffee cup down to move to his side. 

"You two are going to be sore from sleeping like that," Sabine said, her eyes gentle and her voice soft.

Adrien didn’t know what to say or what to do, so he was thankful as a very groggy voice said, "Mom?"

Sabine chuckled. "Good morning, Sweetheart. Did you sleep well?" 

"huhng?" Marinette groaned, as she started to sit up. She braced one hand against his side, her eyes drifting down to meet his own wide eyes, and realized where she was. With a squeak, Marinette went bolt upright in an instant, making Adrien jump up as well. Both of them winced, as kinked muscles twinged, and Sabine started to laugh whole heartedly as Tom came into the room. 

"Ah, are you kids finally awake? Breakfast is ready and we have some of the most adorable pictures of you two sleeping," he said, as he walked through the room on his way down into the bakery.

"DAD!" Marinette cried, her face flushing bright red. 

They could hear him howling with laughter as he went down the stairs and Adrien looked around, realizing the messy state he and Marinette had left the living room in, when they passed out the night before. 

He felt his own face flush as Sabine turned her gaze on him. "I hope you like pancakes." 

Adrien nodded mutely and stood dropping his blanket to the couch as he started reaching for the messy plates on the table. 

"I've got those Adrien," Marinette said, reaching in as well, and they ended up colliding heads before stumbling back away from each other.

Sabine snorted. "You two clean up out here real quick and I will fetch some croissants." 

"Ok, Mama," Marinette called, as Adrien added. "Sorry about the mess." 

Sabine waved a hand. "You should see the disaster that she and Alya leave behind when she stays over. You are more than welcome to stay over at anytime."   
Adrien chanced a glance over at Marinette who beamed a smile at him, warming him to the very core.

"Yeah, Adrien, welcome home… I-I mean you're welcome here… in this home… my home…" she stuttered, the floor drawing her gaze as he gaped at her. 

'Welcome home. Welcome home. Welcome home.' Those two simple, little words echoed in his head and he moved forward, his arms wrapping around her without thinking, his heart filling with an emotion he didn’t quite know how to name. He didn’t care if she said it by accident or not. The point was she had said it and he desperately wanted to hear it again. Adrien would do anything to hear her say those words again. To his surprise, she didn’t flinch or go stiff at his touch, instead her arms simply wrapped around him, shielding him, and holding him close. Then ever so softly he heard Marinette whisper it once more. 

"Welcome home, Adrien."


End file.
